Processing Apparatus and Processing Method

• US 20090053900A1
• Filed: 04/06/2007
• Published: 02/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Kouji, Kotani, Koji, Nozawa, Toshihisa
• Granted Patent: US 8,366,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 438/710
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45502 Flow conditions in reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: F17D 1/04 for distribution of gas
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 2237/1825 Evacuating means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/3244 Gas supply means
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32449 Gas control, e.g. control of the gas flow
• CPC Class Codes: H01J 37/32834 Exhausting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0368 By speed of fluid

Abstract

A processing apparatus includes a process container having a placing table for placing a processing object, an exhaust system having vacuum pumps and a pressure control valve for exhausting atmosphere in the process container. A gas injection unit having a gas ejection hole is provided in the process container, as well as a gas supplying unit for supplying a process gas to the gas injection unit. The entire process apparatus is controlled by a controlling unit. The control unit controls the exhaust system and the gas supplying unit. When starting a predetermined process, the process gas at a flow rate greater than a prescribed flow rate is supplied for a short time while exhausting the atmosphere in the process container by the exhaust system, and then the process gas at a prescribed flow rate is supplied.

Claims

1. A processing apparatus for performing a predetermined process using a process gas at a prescribed flow rate to an object, the processing apparatus comprising;

a process container comprising a placing table for placing the object;

an exhaust system having a vacuum pump and a pressure control valve for exhausting an atmosphere in the process container;

a gas injection unit having a gas ejection hole for ejecting the process gas into the process container;

a gas supplying unit for supplying the process gas to the gas injection unit while controlling the prescribed flow rate; and

a control unit for controlling the entire processing apparatus;

wherein the control unit controls the exhaust system and the gas supplying unit;

the process gas at a flow rate greater than the prescribed flow rate of the predetermined process is supplied for a predetermined short time while exhausting the atmosphere in the process container by the exhaust system; and

thereafter the process gas at the prescribed flow rate is supplied.

2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controlling the exhaust system and the gas supplying unit to supply the process gas greater than the prescribed flow rate for a predetermined short time, which is determined based on a volume of the process container, a process pressure in the process container at the time of the predetermined process, and a time required to increase the pressure in the process container to the process pressure.

3. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controlling the exhausting system and gas supplying unit supplies a process gas within three seconds in a flow rate greater than a prescribed flow rate.

4. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controlling the exhaust system and the gas supply unit to supply the process gas at the flow rate greater than the prescribed flow rate, and controlling the pressure control valve to correspond to a process pressure in the process container.

5. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas supplying unit supplies a plurality of types of processing gases which are selectively supplied by switching.

6. The processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the gas supplying unit comprises a gas channel connected to the gas injection unit;

and

a bypass channel which includes an on-off valve for a high rate exhaust, which is located between the gas channel and the process container.

7. The processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the gas supply unit further comprises a gas channel connected to the gas injection unit;

and

a bypass channel having an on-off valve for a high-rate exhaust which is located between the gas channel and the exhaust system.

8. The processing apparatus according to claim 7 wherein, the control unit opens the on-off valve for the high-rate exhaust to exhaust the process gas from a precedent process remaining in the gas channel right before flowing the process gas at the flow rate greater than the prescribed flow rate for a predetermined short time.

9. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the gas injection unit comprises a shower head having a plurality of gas ejection holes.

10. The processing apparatus according to claim 1 comprising a heating unit for heating the object.

11. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the process container comprises a plasma generating unit for generating a plasma.

12. A processing method for applying a predetermined process to an object by supplying a process gas at a prescribed flow rate in a process container that includes an exhaust system, the processing method comprising the steps of;

supplying a process gas at a flow rate greater than the prescribed flow rate of a predetermined process for a predetermined short time from a gas channel while exhausting an atmosphere in the process container through the exhaust system; and

supplying the process gas at the prescribed flow rate from the gas channel after supplying the process gas at the flow rate greater than the prescribed flow rate for the predetermined short time.

13. The processing method according to claim 12, wherein the processing method is capable of selectively supplying a plurality of types of process gases into the process container;

and

the process gas from a precedent process remaining in the gas channel for supplying the process gas is exhausted into the process container and the exhaust system through a bypass channel for high-rate exhaust right before flowing the process gas at the flow rate greater than the prescribed flow rate.

14. A storage medium for storing a computer program controlling a processing apparatus comprising;

a process container including a placing table for placing an object to be processed;

an exhaust system having a vacuum pump and a pressure control valve for exhausting an atmosphere in the process container;

a gas injection unit having a gas ejection hole for ejecting a process gas into the process container; and

a gas supply unit for supplying the process gas to the gas injection unit while controlling a flow rate;

wherein the computer program executes a processing method comprising the steps of;

supplying the process gas at a flow rate greater than a prescribed flow rate of the predetermined process for a predetermined short time from a gas channel while exhausting the atmosphere in the process container by the exhaust system; and

supplying the process gas at the prescribed flow rate from the gas channel after supplying the process gas at the flow rate greater than the prescribed flow rate for the predetermined short time.

15. A computer program for controlling a processing apparatus comprising;

a process container including a placing table for placing an object to be processed;

an exhaust system having a vacuum pump and a pressure control valve for exhausting an atmosphere in the process container;

a gas injection unit having a gas ejection hole for ejecting a process gas into the process container; and

a gas supply unit for supplying the process gas to the gas injection unit while controlling a flow rate;

wherein the computer program executes a processing method comprising the steps of;

supplying the process gas at a flow rate greater than a prescribed flow rate of the predetermined process for a predetermined short time from a gas channel while exhausting the atmosphere in the process container by the exhaust system; and

supplying the process gas at the prescribed flow rate from the gas channel after supplying the process gas at the flow rate greater than the prescribed flow rate for the predetermined short time.